Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has criticized his former team for being overly “predictable” following a recent stretch of Premier League performances in which the Gunners have heavily depended on set-pieces to achieve results from games.
The north Londoners played out a frustrating 0-0 draw against Everton on Saturday, after failing to create opportunities from open play. Of their last eight Premier League goals, only two have come from open play.
In matches earlier this December, including a 2-0 victory over Manchester United and a 1-1 draw with Fulham, all three of Arsenal’s goals were scored from corners. The Gunners have recently come under criticism for their dependence on dead-ball situations from many quarters and two-time PL winner with the club Henry has become the latest voice to register his disappointment.
“I would say they are very predictable. You’re not going to say it’s not good to score off set-pieces, it is outstanding. Before the [Sporting CP] game, it took us a year to score away in Europe, and now the last three scored in the league are from set-pieces,” Henry said in lengthy analysis for Sky Sports.
The former French international used several clips from Arsenal’s recent matches to emphasize his point about the lack of creativity in the team, noting that their go-to strategy often revolves around relying on Bukayo Saka.
“Think about Liverpool, when Mo Salah cuts inside, you have Joe Gomez, Diogo Jota, or [Darwin] Nunez running [on the left], or Conor Bradley sometimes on the inside running. Look at what Bukayo Saka has against Man Utd,” Henry said, implying a lack of dangerous options to pass to.
“But it’s predictable, we all know he’s going to play with [Martin] Odegaard, everyone sees that. Can you beat the line? You can pass to Declan Rice and enjoy a quick 3v2. That’s called creating, playing between the lines, attracting an opponent one way and going the other way to see what you can do.
“Too predictable, it goes to [Oleksandr] Zinchenko. Zinchenko can play to his winger, but he doesn’t, he prefers to play to the ’10]’, if he plays to the winger, the ’10’ can make the run.”
Henry suggested that opposition teams have figured out the approach of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners. And while success in attacking set-pieces is a useful attacking asset, it is currently concealing a more significant underlying problem.
“Let’s put it out there, it’s not easy to play a team that is never going to jump [out of a defensive shape],” he explained. “Nobody jumps at Arsenal anymore. Monaco tried, you saw the result [3-0]. But if you don’t have bodies between the lines, to create decoys, it’s going to be very difficult if you only give the ball to your winger on the right or on the left. And if that winger on the left is not beating people, you’re [too predictably] playing on the right.
“It has to be a team effort. I always say it’s not because one man scores a lot of goals that you’re going to win it. Everybody needs to score and be important. We [in 2002 and 2004] used to create [on the left] and Freddie [Ljungberg from the right] would make that run between lines and score.
“When you want to be champions – this is also what’s happening to Man City right now – people adapt to what you do. What are you going to bring the year after and the year after? Set-pieces are coming [for Arsenal], but don’t go away from what you were and what you were creating before.”
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
